Birthdays seem to be coming along a lot sooner than they used to. Its like only recently I celebrated my 21st. Now that I am double that, it doesn’t seem to matter as much. So maybe because I don’t really look forward in anticipation to the next one, they sneak up quickly and slap me on the tail and say “It’s another year, congratulations.”

As for this past year in itself, it was pretty good. Took a short trip to Grafton as the floods were moving up. Began taking more pictures than years past in hopes of turning them into something more than just files on a computer. Probably wrote more emails to folks than years past for one reason or another. Started a project with Larry which hopefully will grow into something quite helpful for those who become interested in the writings to come. Began working with Terry on a few ideas which seem to move forward by going in circles.

This past year has brought opportunities which may not have been there had I taken the time to do different things. Things which were a bit beyond my comfort zone were attempted and made possible just by giving things a chance.

As one year ends, another one begins. This year will be better than the year before. And yes, you will mostly likely read that same statement in six months or so as we get ready for a whole new calendar year.

I look forward to the new opportunities which I already know exist, and anticipate the hidden opportunities which will come from these. Let’s roll.

– David

When I was putting together my first ebook, ‘Que Sera Sera – The book,’ I wanted to put something in there that would pretty much sum things up. Its one thing to gather columns and put them in a collection, but it is another to have something concise that gives people short sayings to live by.

This list is what I wrote for the back of the ebook. Think of each of the 26 as a piece of advice or in a few of the cases, a MUST DO to live your life as it should be.

With all that is going on in the world as we speak, it’s necessary to understand that we most likely won’t be able to change that. But we can change ourselves. And this is how to begin.

A = Abandon what you have thought in the past
B = Believe that life can and will be better
C = Create the world you always imagined
D = Decide today to do what you want to do
E = Eat your veggies
F = Find others who will support you and you them
G = Go out there and get it
H = Have a great day, week, month, year and life
I = I am only one, but I am all I need
J = Join a group that gets you involved in something
K = Keep your eyes on the prize
L = Learn to live like a kid again
M = Make the most of those must-dos
N = Never say never
O = Open your eyes to all that is possible
P = Plan, prepare, partake and prevail
Q = Quit waiting for that perfect moment, no such thing
R = Read David’s books and articles
S = Sing as if no one will hear
T = Today is all you are guaranteed
U = Unveil the you that you once outgrew
V = Visit a children’s hospital when the world’s not fair
W = Write down what you want to accomplish
X = X-amine your thoughts and dreams more often
Y = You are in control of more than you can imagine
Z = Zip up, and get ready for the time of your life

What is it about writing that makes me want to make it a part of any job I have, (even when that job’s primary roles have next to nothing to do with written communication)?

Since leaving the Journal newspapers back in 1992, I have in one way or another, tried to make writing a part of my position. Not so much a priority, because the given position had different responsibilities and duties, but because I wanted to contribute something more.

I was interested in letting folks know what we were up to. How we were contributing to the institution. Who we were as a department as well as individuals. What plans we were working on. And ways we could benefit them that maybe they hadn’t thought about or seen us as possibly being involved with.

Within my recent positions, I have been co-editor of a departmental newsletter, contributor to web sites and departmental guides, voice-over guy for our front desk phone (mainly because I was there when it needed to be changed). I’ve created signs for hours and closings, written updates and notes from things which happened the week before. And yes, I have sent the occasional email (give or take a few hundred) providing information about products or services offered.

So yes, writing has been a part of my career in pretty much everything. Sometimes it became part of the job. Other times, even if it meant writing some simple semi-humorous newsletter just for our small staff, I included writing just because I could.

Now what about you? How have you chosen to make writing a part of your job (even if it really isn’t)?

Nope. I have no idea what the title of this post has to do with anything. It’s just one of those things which popped (or pooped) in my head as I opened the blog. Maybe it is because it’s night and I wished the day to be longer. Or is this some symbolic moment where the day is ending and it actually has been just another day like many others before it.

No matter the case, it is what it is. The past week has been filled with waiting, wondering, rushing only to wait. contemplations of future events and activities only to be mixed up with a few others along the way.

Anyway, what makes this day a bit different than others is the fact I am typing without the addition of a cable keeping me locked to a wall where the Internet totally runs my typing space. With my girlfriends wireless connection, I have the ability to move a whopping 32 feet away and still be able to log in and type things.. and hopefully send them.

It is a nice night, and I am still awake-getting back to my night owl days of years past. And yes, that is a good thing.

What differences have you seen this week in your own world, be it writing, work, or whatever?

Ya know, sometimes when you are thinking what you are doing is going to move you forward, something in that same process slides on up and let’s you know that more is needed.

For me, last week I mentioned the computer and software and stuff I bought in hopes of doing more, accomplishing more (and on and on). Well guess what… The new computer will not work with the old printer. Grrrrrrr!

So now it’s looking online for a decent printer. (maybe one of those all-in-one things which can scan, copy and print and maybe fax, not sure. So my goal for today has been looking around a little bit at printers and brands.

I am still deep down an HP kinda guy. It’s what the printer that works (well, does’t work with the new computer) is. There is the Lexmark which doesn’t seem to work with the old one. And I did have an Epson years ago… dot matrix noisy printer for it’s day, but it worked well.

So, any ideas before I go out and get one?

I’ve been shopping way to much lately all in an effort (or is it just a thought on my part) to get more done, to be more productive, to be able to create more stuff, to be more than I have been, to help spend the bonus money from the government to help the economy.

Most of what I bought I believe has had a purpose.

• Alphasmart:  To have something inexpensive to write on at night or on the road. It’s lighter than a laptop and does what is needed for the writer type person.
• Camera:  I needed this because the last pictures I took with my older one came out pretty much out of focus. I’m taking my friend Terry’s lead because he had the same problem with his. He got a new camera and it worked as well as expected.
• Image Collection: Ok, this one I bought just because it was a nice idea. I hope to use it to put into different things, posts, booklets and the like.
• Computer: The one I have at the moment works alright to some extent… but becoming really really slow as technology changes. The new one, as well as the new internet connection, will help move things faster into the next century. (Ooops, that’s what I was saying with the last group of things I bought pre 2000).

So with all that said, I am waiting still for the burst of motivation to get things going. It’s just one of those things I suppose. It shall come in due time. Until then, I’m gonna hang out in the libraries where things are free.

–David

I was just checking email in an account which was about to expire. I had forgotten all about it since it was from so long ago. I was reminded of this other account because they asked for a 2nd email so they could use that just in case problems with this one should come up.

They wrote me saying someone had commented on a blog I once had (which as you guessed it), I haven’t used in a long time as well. (Can ya sense a theme)?

The part that surprised me the most (other than someone commenting on a blog, which then meant they found it and took the time to comment), was that the blog was still out there despite not having any new entries on it in maybe 4 years. It’s true, the Internet (and what is put out there) really just might be forever.

But back to the thought here. My old habits of not posting to the blogs continues. It’s been with me for many years (as this event has shown me). And it is with that reminder that has made me take a few minutes out of my otherwise busy day of checking email servers from years ago I had forgotten about just because some email server reminded me of said fact, to sit here and type some words about this moment in time.

The life of a writer is one full of things to do, things to think about, stuff to read and contemplate. In the end, it is about sitting down and writing. And if something comes into our site via past messages or current reminders, than we owe it to ourselves to go with it.

Even it if means nothing more than we did it for a change.

So what about you?

What reminders do you need to inspire you to write something today?

David
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer

I have 4 (count em, 4) blogs. It was a plan way back to actually write in them on a rather consistent basis.

Well, here it is March already and I haven’t really kept up with any of them. Even simple posts like “Hey there, how is your day going?” have not been written in that time either. I love the blog idea as being something simple to just write and not worry too much about. Meaning keep it simple, short, partially informational and maybe even useful for those who drop on by.

So here’s to once again getting back into the groove of writing in at least one of the blogs much more consistently than once every other month. Tune in next time for something even more entertaining.

David
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer

It’s a popular open-ended question which has helped change the world, make the seemingly impossible, possible. It has helped bring the unmotivated into leaders. It has helped creative people who may have been blocked for lengthy periods of time, come back with fresh views, ideas, aspirations and more creative ways of doing what they do.

What if… is the starting point to countless questions in any given area. And it works for writers as well. For me, and for this list, it’s about getting ideas and sitting one’s tail in a chair to actually write again.

What if…

1. …I got up 30 minutes earlier?
2. …I would exercise for just 10 simple minutes a day?
3. …I bring the tools of my trade with me everywhere I go?
4. …I would edit those pieces I wrote 4 years ago and sent them out?
5. …I sold something I wrote?
6. …I could sit myself down and actually write every day?
7. …My teachers were write when they said I wrote well?
8. …My teachers were wrong then they said my writing sucked?
9. …I could make writing more a part of my job duties?
10. …I go to the park, bring a voice recorder, talk about what I see, feel, smell and hear?
11. …while I am still at the park, I recorded my thoughts about what I wanted to write?
12. …I recorded ideas I had for possible greeting cards, bumper stickers, buttons and the like which I could send off to some places, or even design myself for Cafe Press?
13. …I just sat and recorded ideas I had for different books, booklets, articles, chapters, plays, videos, blogs and poems?
14. …I would just write instead of wondering What If…?

What are your What if… questions you have asked yourself over the years?

David
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer

I know what you are thinking.

Hey David, why are you adding something else to this web thing? I was hoping I could at some point make it all the way to the end of it. But now you go and add another lens for me to check out at Squidoo.

Yup, I did. Actually, this is the 2nd one I have put out there. The first one isn’t or wasn’t what I had really wanted to do. But this one is more for the writer in you. It will connect you with other writer information, inspire you to be less unmotivated (some might say more motivated, but that doesn’t work for me as well).

Check it out here and let me know what you think.

David
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer